Millicent Martin: Bye TW3

Reprinted from http://jazzwax.com

Back when the Beatles, the Stones, Petula Clark, Dusty Springfield and all the rest were still toiling away in the U.K., one of the finest sophisto-pop vocalists on British TV was Millicent Martin. In the early '60s, the comedian, singer and film and theater actress was best known for her coiffed flip and appearances on the satirical and timely That Was the Week That Was (also known as TW3).

The show was an early Daily Show meets The Tonight Show, hosted by David Frost in 1962 and '63. After the British Invasion began in early 1964, NBC brought the show over to the U.S. along with Frost—but without Martin. She had left for bigger things at the end of '63. The show aired in the U.S. in 1964 and '65.

But back to Martin. The Enlgish version's hip, jazzy theme song—which had a difficult but addictive melody—was sung each week by Martin. At the end of '63, Martin bid farewell to the broadcast when she was given her own TV show. She would later appear in Alfie in 1966 before becoming more widely known in the U.S. as a theater and film actress.

Here is Martin in December 1963 singing a farewell to the show in a duet with herself—thanks to trick camerawork and a darn good ear. Those vocalese lyrics are pretty tough as well...

Used with permission by Marc Myers